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I know jp...but I think that most people have a hard time visualizing the earth as a sphere and not flat like a map. It's hard to understand how incredibly far away we are from the coast.
Those of you that are worried, picture this: Knoxville is a little more than 200 miles away from Charlotte. If there was a storm in Knoxville, would you be worried about it coming here?
Also, hurricanes quickly lose intensity when they get over land. Their fuel comes from the heat of the ocean's surface. They typically won't affect an area as far inland as Charlotte.
Perhaps this is minimizing things a bit too much. Storm systems much weaker than hurricanes can make there way here from Knoxville. There are mountains in between that disperse some of them but it's not uncommon for large storm systems to come that far...after having made their way through the midwestern states. Some of those systems throw off tornadoes, cause flooding and drop hail all along the way....for many hundreds of miles.
Wind is not the biggest problem with hurricanes that make it this far inland but we can get A LOT of rain in a short amount of time leading to flash flooding. If one is living in a flood prone area they would want to be aware of any hurricane predicted to come ashore and dump lots of rain here. Downed trees and limbs are common as well, even in lesser winds. When a storm like that is coming I preorder a load of gravel because it's pretty much a guarantee that my driveway will wash out, lol.
Dare County has issued an emergency management statement for mandatory evacuation of all visitors to Hatteras Island. This is, of course, the area that will be most vulnerable, but as others have stated, damage occurs inland due to water, tornado spin-offs, tide surge, etc.
It is naive to be unprepared here in CLT when a hurricane is heading towards our coast. Even low level hurricane winds can cause damage and cause power outages inland here in the CLT region.
Yea..so i asked how that storm affected the area.... so? Hugo was a FLUKE... the track had to be perfect, it had to be a cat 4 or 5 storm. It had to be moving quickly. Everything had to be right ..or wrong for that to happen. If you even LOOK at the track of Earl its nothing like Hugo...we won't see another Hugo here in Charlotte.
Hey, lighten up! I was trying to be friendly and break the tension between you and Jack, no need to take my head off
Perhaps this is minimizing things a bit too much. Storm systems much weaker than hurricanes can make there way here from Knoxville. There are mountains in between that disperse some of them but it's not uncommon for large storm systems to come that far...after having made their way through the midwestern states. Some of those systems throw off tornadoes, cause flooding and drop hail all along the way....for many hundreds of miles.
But that's NOT how hurricanes work. I lived at the beach for seven years, and I can tell you the media makes a much bigger deal out of hurricanes than most residents. The Weather Channel would freak out if there was a tropical storm coming when we all knew it was just going to rain for a day.
If I was on the Outer Banks, I would take precautions. Other than that, nobody needs to be concerned.
But that's NOT how hurricanes work. I lived at the beach for seven years, and I can tell you the media makes a much bigger deal out of hurricanes than most residents. The Weather Channel would freak out if there was a tropical storm coming when we all knew it was just going to rain for a day.
If I was on the Outer Banks, I would take precautions. Other than that, nobody needs to be concerned.
No, no one here needs to be concerned about THIS hurricane because it isn't supposed to come inland or head our way at all. But, that is not the case for every hurricane.
I've been through one direct hurricane and it was a big deal. People evacuated, there was a lot of damage and it was VERY scary.
I've lived inland in TX and now here....too far to be in the direct path of a hurricane but close enough to know that tropical storm winds and flooding can be an issue, even this far inland, and should not be taken lightly. People die in those flash floods, property destroyed, power out for days or weeks...that IS how hurricanes work. Not as serious as being on the coast when a hurricane hits but still more than simply 'rain for a day'.
The weather forecast calls for dry, hot, and sunny days through next week. Zero chance of rain. I know that the weather guys are often wrong, but I'm thinking we might be safe from any effect of this hurricane.
We are flying to Chicago on Friday morning and were concerned about flights being cancelled, but it looks like all will be well. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
The weather forecast calls for dry, hot, and sunny days through next week. Zero chance of rain. I know that the weather guys are often wrong, but I'm thinking we might be safe from any effect of this hurricane.
We are flying to Chicago on Friday morning and were concerned about flights being cancelled, but it looks like all will be well. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Guys..why are we even DISCUSSING Earl in this part of the country ..its ludicrous.
But that's NOT how hurricanes work. I lived at the beach for seven years, and I can tell you the media makes a much bigger deal out of hurricanes than most residents. The Weather Channel would freak out if there was a tropical storm coming when we all knew it was just going to rain for a day.
If I was on the Outer Banks, I would take precautions. Other than that, nobody needs to be concerned.
I agree with you Coastal...the weather channel and media are ridiculous with overblowing this stuff. Heck when a real threat is occurring we can't tell the difference anymore.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NCyank
No, no one here needs to be concerned about THIS hurricane because it isn't supposed to come inland or head our way at all. But, that is not the case for every hurricane.
I've been through one direct hurricane and it was a big deal. People evacuated, there was a lot of damage and it was VERY scary.
I've lived inland in TX and now here....too far to be in the direct path of a hurricane but close enough to know that tropical storm winds and flooding can be an issue, even this far inland, and should not be taken lightly. People die in those flash floods, property destroyed, power out for days or weeks...that IS how hurricanes work. Not as serious as being on the coast when a hurricane hits but still more than simply 'rain for a day'.
I agree with you that being aware of hurricanes is very important. Weird things can happen. After Floyd has his way with eastern NC, a piece broke off & travelled up the Delaware & went smack through my old town & created havoc in Philly. I've been through several hurricanes in South Jersey (including Gloria) & while they were usually cat. 2 or 3, it doesn't make them less scary. I'm relieved to be this far inland, but realize that these storms can do the unexpected.
To the OP, hurricanes aren't usually as big a deal as you go up the east coast, but the stations do monitor the tracking. If it looks like a hurricane will effect an area, every reporter will be sent out.
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